Zapotiltic: La Zoromutera + Palos Colorados (México)

About the Program
The Zapotiltic: La Zoromutera and Palos Colorados program is located in the city of Zapotiltic in the Jalisco region of Mexico, about 30 miles south of Guadalajara. The site lies within the city, where much of the land has been cleared and often developed in the past. Many of the green spaces of the urban area have become degraded. The team seeks to help change this lack of high-quality natural areas in the city by supporting community members and other organizations in carrying out reforestation efforts. The team also seeks to educate the community and empower them to have pride in the local environment, as well as an understanding of the importance of natural areas.

Practices and Impacts

• CEMEX created a garden with native species in 2021 that serves as habitat for a variety of insects and hummingbirds. Monitoring using the platform iNaturalista takes place monthly.
• The team led an educational project entitled Misión Ambiental. The project taught community members and students by motivating them to steward their local environment by way of a competition. Community members were challenged to identify ideal sites for reforestation and perform other environmentally focused activities, and the winners were awarded native trees to plant in degraded areas.